Wheel block



W W49 J. c. AUTEN 2,481fifi5 WHEEL BLOCK Filed Dec. 29, 1945 INVENTOR. (In y. c. A UTE- N Patented Sept. 6, 1949 Jay C. Auten, Royal Oak,

Mich, assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1945, Serial No.13?! ,959

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to blocking members and is particularly applicable, among other uses, to prevent undesired movement of a vehicle or airplane wheel.

one object of this invention is to provide a wheel chock which will not slide along or embed itself in the surface when engaged by the wheel.

Another object is to provide such a chock which is light in weight, sturdy, and economical of manufacture.

These and other objects will be apparent from the reading of the specification and appended claim.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as a part of this specification, there is clearly and fully illustrated embodiments of the invention, in which drawing:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a wheel chock embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan View of the chock of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of the chock;

Fig. 4 is a partial view showing a further modification of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a partial view showing a still further modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings b character of reference, the numeral l designates generally a wedge-shaped member or chock formed of a single piece of steel strip bent into triangular shape to form a side portion 2 adapted to lie substantial- 1y against the surface 3 with a substantially vertically extending portion 4. The wheel-engaging portion 5 extends diagonally downwardly toward the surface 3 to the end 6 of the portion 2 opposite to portion l. The lower end of portion 5 is bent substantially vertically with respect to surface 3 to form a lip I which extends downwardly slightly beyond the lower face of portion 2 for gripping engagement with surface 3 to provide an antislip edge or gripping portion. End 6 has been illustrated as not secured to portion 5 or lip 1. If desired these parts could be secured, as by welding. The welding may, however, be omitted as an unnecessary expense. As the wheel 8 tends to roll against portion 5, a force having horizontal and vertical components is imparted to the chock. The vertical component is utilized to force the lip 1 into positive engagement with the surface to prevent the chock I from sliding there/along.- The lip preferably is provided with a sharp edge 9. Any tendency for the chock to collapse due to overloading is limited by engagement of lip I with end 6 which renders the chock l rigid against further deformation. In Fig. 4 the end surface of lip I has been formed into a knifeedge shape H3. As shown in Fig. 5 the end sur face is serrated as at H and the surface portions are longitudinally corrugated as at l5 to permit the use of lighter gauge materials. 7

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 a lip 12 extends toward the surface at the end portion of the side portion 2 remote from portion 42, the wheelengaging portion 5' has no lip, and is arranged to be engageable with the portion 2' slightly toward the vertical portion 4 rom the lip 12. The free end of portion 5 may normally be in engagement with the portion 2' or may be slightly spaced therefrom as shown. As the wheel to be chocked rolls against the chock l, the portion 5' flexes slightly exerting a downward force on portion 2' which transmits the force to the lip i2 so that its corner I3 positively engages and tends to bite into the surface 3 to prevent sliding of the chock along the surface.

A chock made in accordance with the teachings of this invention provides a member which has sufficient area in engagement with the surface to prevent excessive sinking of the chock into any surface which is sufficiently substantial to support the wheel. Upon engagement by rolling of the wheel the initial force is exerted on this antislip edge and is utilized to cause the edge to have a firm bite or grip to resist sliding movement of the chock on hard-finished surfaces. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, after the wheelengaging portion has flexed a predetermined amount, the portion 1 engages end 6 to make the chock quite solid and resistant to further deelection. As shown in Fig. 5, the face of the chock may be longitudinally corrugated, thereby permitting the use of lighter gauge steel without sacrificing strengt Due to the constructional features embodied in my new and novel chock block, I can place the wheel-engaging portion at a greater angle from the surface engaging portion for providing a greater resistance to movement of the wheel and at the same time maintain the chock against sliding movement. This sliding of the chock has been a great disadvantage and especially with rigid wedge blocks because either the angle of inclination was so small that the wheel was quite liable to roll up and over the inclined surface, or,

if the inclined surface was made steeper or at a greater angle, then the chock slid along the surface. To overcome this slipping, chocks of the prior art have been nailed to the surface. This is sometimes satisfactory, but is inconvenient and oftentimes the surface is concrete, steel, or other hard material, and then of course it would be impossible to anchor it in this manner without defacing the surface and then only with great inconvenience. My wheel chock which is economical of manufacture, light in weight, is easily transportable, is easily used because it requires no separate means to secure it to the surface to prevent longitudinal movement, and is as well suited to extremely hard-faced surfaces such as concrete or steel as it is to softer surfaces such as dirt. It has particular utility as an accessory for motor vehicles for use in connection with tire changing or other times when movement of the vehicle is to be prevented and/or around airports to chock airplane landing wheels to prevent movement during engine warm-up or movement from other sources such as wind, etc.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

A wheel chock substantially defining, in side elevation, a right triangle and comprising a fiat base portion having first and second ends, a side portion extending from the first end of said base portion and cooperating with said base to define a right angle, a wheel engaging portion inclined relative to the other portions of the chock and forming the hypotenuse of the triangle, said Wheel engaging portion being joined to the side portion, overlying the base portion and having a free end provided with a lip deformed out of the plane of said wheel engaging portion into a plane normal to said base portion, said lip being in close proximity to, but spaced from, the second end of said base portion and extending beyond the plane of said base portion to provide a straight edge adapted to serve as a biting edge on that portion of said chock adapted to be located adjacent a vertical plane containing the axis of the cooperating wheel and to be impaled vertically into the ground as an incident to engagement of said wheel engaging portion by a wheel, and to thereby act as a fixed abutment to limit movement of said base portion in one direction relative to said wheel engaging portion as an incident to overload of said chock.

JAY C. AUTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

